Icewind's Ramblings

A conclusion . . . is the place where you got tired of thinking. Ice

It’s like losing a friend . . . One of my favorite Anchorage restaurants closed its doors yesterday suddenly. Wings ‘n Things has been an Anchorage landmark for many years opening in it’s tiny, homey place in 1983 and serving one of the most unique hot wings I’ve ever tasted. The location on the corner of I Street and 6 th Avenue sometimes made it a little harder to drop in if you were working on the other side of town but it was always worth that extra ten minute drive. The owners, Joe and Teresa served lunch with a smile and the staff was always helpful in bringing out the food or clearing the tables so others could enjoy the fare. It was a small place usually packed in the rooms during lunch time when businesses in town filled the place. This was a ‘locals’ kind of place, but many visiting Alaska discovered this gem of an eatery. Wings were their specialty but many sandwiches were also served there. I usually had hot wings but also loved their Ph...

This is a title to one of my favorite books by Lewis Grizzard from my old hometown of Atlanta . Lewis passed away several years ago while having heart surgery at Emory University hospital but made us laugh all the way to the end. I miss him as he was a client of mine when I had my company before I left Georgia . His dog Catfish was a big part of his life and like all great dogs was selfless in his love for his master. Lewis Grizzard’s books and comedy albums are filled with humor which is much needed in our trying times. His book title brings me to today’s topic . . . the 30 th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death. Has it really been that long? My sister loved Elvis and has always had a special place in her heart for ‘The King’ since we were young. Our aunt and uncle lived in Memphis for awhile in a subdivision around the corner from Graceland and the couple of times we visited them we had the great pleasure of spending the day inside the mansion and playing soft...

Yesterday after finishing the “shed from hell” that I have been building for the last several weeks I sat down in my front yard and drank a beer relaxing for a bit. Once I sat there quietly it was amazing to see nature come to life before my eyes. I need to preface this story a little so you can understand things a bit. My shed is one that I have been working on for several weeks now between the rain showers, work, and the normal everyday things that keep you from working on it. I should have built a shed made completely out of wood but instead ‘got a deal’ on a metal shed with the floor system thrown in. What the person at Lowe’s fails to tell you is the ‘floor system’ is not a floor only some metal pieces that makes up the shape of the bottom of the shed. You still have to but the plywood for the floor so I still needed six sheets to cover the area I was building. The shed is 14’x16’ and I decided to build my base on 2x6” wooden joists and cover it with plywood. Th...

As summer wanes here in the far north and we slowly slip into the darkness of Alaskan winters it is easy to still spot tourists visiting Alaska . Recently when our friends were visiting we spent one of our day’s downtown at the Saturday Market, 4 th Avenue with all of the shops, and our favorite eating place, Phyllis’s Salmon Bake where Apollo and Lisa served us a great meal and everyone had a great time. It was a perfect Alaskan summer day with the sun high overhead, no clouds, and a slight breeze. A truly magnificent day here but it was also funny to observe the tourists all over town. I have a theory that when people have traveled a long distance to see a new land, they often find themselves a little disoriented. Alaska is outside of most people's realm of familiarity, and travelers wind up overwhelmed with new experiences and information. This inundation of sensory overload and confusion leads to odd decision making. It is the only explanation I have fo...